AUTHOR=Yang Eun Hye , Shin Yong Beom , Choi Soo Han , Yoo Hye Won , Kim Hye Young , Kwak Min Jung , Park Kyung Hee , Bae Mi Hye , Kong Ju Hyun , Lee Yun-Jin , Nam Sang Ook , Kim Young Mi TITLE=Chromosomal Microarray in Children With Developmental Delay: The Experience of a Tertiary Center in Korea JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics VOLUME=9 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.690493 DOI=10.3389/fped.2021.690493 ISSN=2296-2360 ABSTRACT=

Background and Objectives: Chromosomal microarray (CMA) is a first-tier genetic test for children with developmental delay (DD), intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and multiple congenital anomalies (MCA). In this study, we report our experiences with the use of CMA in Korean children with unexplained DD/ID.

Methods: We performed CMA in a cohort of 308 children with DD/ID between January 2010 and September 2020. We also retrospectively reviewed their medical records. The Affymetrix CytoScan 750 K array with an average resolution of 100 kb was used to perform CMA.

Results: Comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders were ASD (37 patients; 12.0%), epilepsy (34 patients; 11.0%), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (12 patients; 3.9%). The diagnostic yield was 18.5%. Among the 221 copy number variants (CNVs) identified, 70 CNVs (57 patients; 18.5%) were pathogenic. Deletion CNVs were more common among pathogenic CNVs (PCNVs) than in non-PCNVs (P < 0.001). The size difference between PCNVs and non-PCNVs was not significant (P = 0.023). The number of included genes within CNV intervals was significantly higher in PCNVs (average 8.6; 0–347) than in non-PCNVs (average 47.5; 1–386) (P < 0.001). Short stature and hearing difficulty were also more common in the PCNV group than in the non-PCNV group (P = 0.010 and 0.070, respectively).

Conclusion: This study provides additional evidence for the usefulness of CMA in genetic testing of children with DD/ID in Korea. The pathogenicity of CNVs correlated with the number of included genes within the CNV interval and deletion type of the CNVs, but not with CNV size.